Seattle Sportsnet

Jon Brockman can’t shoot free throws. We all know this, but so many of us have refused to accept it. Currently, he’s shooting a Shaq-esque 53.8% from the line, meaning he’s good for one-of-two on just about every trip to the stripe. As is the case when anyone struggles at the free-throw line, the critics have come out in full force to assess a) what Jon is doing wrong and b) what Jon can do to right his wrongdoings. Of course, the all-time favorite remedy for poor free-throw shooting, as prescribed by old white guys who last took to the court at a local YMCA in Chuck Taylor’s and sport goggles, is to be a man and fire those shots away underhand, “granny style,” if you will.

We all know where the underhanded free-throw got its lifeblood. That would be NBA Hall of Famer Rick Barry, a man who shot 90% from the band of charity over his career, all the while doing it with bucket shots. Other players messed around with the oddball method (most notably Wilt Chamberlain), but only Barry stuck with it and formulated real success while sacrificing style points in the process. Since Barry exited the game, fans who watched him play have been pining for someone, anyone to pick up his underhanded legacy. These days, it seems like any college or professional player who can’t top 60% at the stripe is a candidate for Barry-style shooting. Just ask Brockman, who I’m sure has had his fair share of old, white guy critics tell him he needs to granny that ball up there.

Unfortunately for Barry fans, the bucket shot is about as likely to make a return as short-shorts and the old Horace Grant googly sport goggles. Basketball, these days, is more about looking good than having success. Just ask any of the hundreds of NBA players with shoe deals. Or even the college programs with sponsored uniform contracts. Or maybe the teens with floor-length shorts that can’t dribble between their legs because of it. If players weren’t concerned about style, then who knows, maybe every kid in the country would be practicing his scoop shot, but that’s just not the case. Which means a recognizable figure like Brockman probably won’t be making any major changes to his shooting style anytime soon.

My solution to Brockman’s problem: shoot jumpers. Brockman has a textbook jumper. Good form, nice rotation on the ball, and he can extend that shot to about 20 feet with consistency. Which means a 15-foot free throw (maybe 17- or 18-feet when you account for the initial leap) should be no problem. It’s not an unprecedented change. Ten years ago, ex-Husky forward Greg Clark utilized the J to put his free throws in the hole, and he averaged just under 70% during his junior season (to be fair, he was only a 54.6% career shooter at the line, which essentially led him to the jump shot in the first place). It really can’t get much worse for Brockman, so at this point consistency is the thing. He just needs to find something that works and stick with it. For most old white guys, that means a resounding “no” to the underhanded bucket shot. Sorry.